The total value of the research and development program investments: 68.8 million NIS
24 pre-R&D programs, in a total amount of about NIS 2,000,000, were approved by the last momentum committee in the office of the chief scientist, Dr. Eli Ofer, in the office of the TMT at a meeting held on 8/8/05
Tnufa Program Director, Jacob Fisher, said that of the approved programs, 7 were in the field of life sciences, 6 in the field of communication and information systems, and 11 in various fields such as: electro-optical systems, electronics, mechanical engineering, chemistry and more.
Fisher specifically mentioned a number of projects, which were approved by the committee:
• Feminine, tiny and portable oxygen supply system
• Song and story player intended for use by preschool children
• An electronic auxiliary device, which helps the blind in locating various objects
• An industrial frying system, which enables the production of low-calorie chips
The chief scientist, Dr. Eli Ofer, noted that the Nufa program supports not only high-tech ventures, but also the development of simpler innovative products, including consumer products.
The field of road safety receives special encouragement. One of the projects, approved by the committee, is the continued development of safety road signs, which reduces the damage to drivers' concentration while driving. The chief scientist emphasized that the war on road safety can be promoted by technological developments, and promising projects in this field will receive the support of his office.
A momentum program, in the Office of the Chief Scientist, helps technological entrepreneurs at the beginning of their journey, to reach a stage where they can raise capital, for the further development of the venture.
The assistance to entrepreneurs, as part of Nufa, includes a financial grant, up to a ceiling of NIS 210,000, intended for proving the technological and/or business programming of the venture and for the protection of intellectual property. The aid is at the level of 85% of the approved budget, for private entrepreneurs and start-up companies and at the level of 50% for small companies from the traditional industry.
25 programs at the end of July
On July 31, the Research Committee in the Office of the Chief Scientist announced that it had approved 25 new R&D programs at its last meeting. The scope of investments in the approved research amounts to NIS 68.8 million, of which NIS 30.4 million are R&D grants from the chief scientist's budgets.
Of the 25 approved programs, five projects are within the Bio-Disk framework, a framework for collaborations in research and development in the field of biotechnology between Israeli companies and companies from Germany. In this framework, the German companies submit their proposals to the body corresponding to the chief scientist in Germany and with the approval of the project by the chief scientist in Israel, the project starts.
It should be noted that within the research committees of the chief scientist, many research proposals are submitted in cooperation with other countries such as Italy, Finland, Sweden, France and more.
As part of the R&D files discussed by the committee, it is worth noting a number of prominent projects:
The MGVS company, located in the Carmel Medical Center, was founded in 2000 and is a graduate of the Niyot Technology Incubator. As part of the R&D program approved for the company, MGVS will develop two innovative products to create new blood vessels composed of the patient's own cells. One product consists of a combination of cellular and gene therapy and a second product combines cellular therapy and a medical device. The planned products are unique and innovative and have therapeutic potential for hundreds of thousands of patients suffering from vascular blockages in the legs and heart using cellular and molecular biology. The company is in the final stages of the regulatory process with the FDA and is about to enter the human trials phase within a few months.
Elchem Medical from Kibbutz Bar'am, a company for the development, production and marketing of disposable medical products used in fluid transport, injection, measurement and control systems, is developing a new generation of automatic syringes for self-injection of drugs in cooperation with Dr. Daly Medical Devices from Rasheltz. The innovative syringes are very convenient for self-use, prevent the fear of needles and are safe to use, thus responding to the evolving demands of health systems, pharmaceutical companies and patients.
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